1 90 2 Our Neglected Mammals 253 



yet unascertained, and it is gradually becoming evident that 

 certain animals reputed rare or local are actually abundant 

 and widely distributed. The Whiskered Bat and Bank Vole 

 are instances. 



Owing to lack of interest in years gone by, certain animals 

 have vanished from entire districts without any authentic 

 record of their having ever existed therein. At one time 

 the Black Rat and Roe Deer were probably found all over 

 these islands, and they still occur in certain districts, yet 

 in places whence they have vanished it is exceedingly 

 difficult to obtain reliable evidence of their former status, 

 or to find out, even approximately, the date of final dis- 

 appearance. 



Up to this point we have concerned ourselves mainly 

 with matters bearing on geographical distribution, and it 

 would be easy to show how much has yet to be done in 

 this important branch of science ; but enough has been 

 said to prove the point, so we will pass on to consider 

 whether there is still scope for work on purely zoological 

 lines : Can we find out anything fresh about our mammals ? 

 If proof were wanted that original work could still be done 

 in studying the habits of our mammals I would refer to Mr 

 Charles Oldham's observations on the use of the tail-pouch 

 in Bats, published in the two last volumes of the ' Zool- 

 ogist.' These constitute a valuable addition to our know- 

 ledge of these obscure creatures. Up to the present most 

 naturalists have been content to accept unquestioned all 

 statements regarding our native bats made by our veteran 

 zoologists wellnigh a century ago, though in certain details 

 these have proved to be erroneous. It is positively astound- 

 ing how little we really know as to the breeding of some of 

 our commonest animals. For instance, authorities differ 

 widely as to the number of young produced in one litter by 

 the Common Hare,^ and in many other species it is highly 

 desirable that actual records should be collected so that 

 reliable statistics may be compiled. In a previous paper ^ 

 I have shown that the Dormouse litters in the autumn, 

 though British authors state that it breeds only in spring. 



^ Vide the ' Field,' 6th September 1902. 

 2 F. N. Q., No. I, p. 24. 



